Mature and Immature Psychological Defense Mechanisms and their Relationship to Academic Achievement among University Students in Tulkarm Governorate, Palestine
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Sep 30, 2026
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Zeiad Amin Barakat
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7870-1065
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7870-1065
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the level of use of mature and immature psychological defense mechanisms among university students in Tulkarm Governorate, Palestine. To achieve this aim, the researcher administered the Defense Style Scale (DSS) to a sample of 423 male and female students enrolled at Al-Quds Open University (Tulkarm Branch), An-Najah National University (Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine), and Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie. The results indicated that the level of use of both mature and immature defense mechanisms, as well as the overall score, was moderate. The five most frequently used mature defense mechanisms, in descending order, were sublimation, compensation, rationalization, assertiveness, and suppression. In contrast, the five least used mature mechanisms were humor, altruism, acceptance of others, idealization, and social affect. Regarding immature defense mechanisms, the most frequently used were denial, reaction formation, acting out, justification, and fantasy, whereas the least used were aggression, dissociation, passivity, rejection, and borderline traits. The findings revealed no statistically significant differences between males and females in the use of mature defense mechanisms. However, statistically significant differences were found in immature defense mechanisms in favor of females. The results also demonstrated a statistically significant positive correlation between the use of mature defense mechanisms and academic achievement, and a statistically significant negative correlation between the use of immature defense mechanisms and academic achievement. Specifically, significant negative correlations were found between academic achievement and projection, displacement, justification, denial, reaction formation, and acting out, as well as fantasy, repression, inferiority, fragmentation, and aggression. In contrast, no significant relationship was found between academic achievement and passivity, withdrawal, rejection, or borderline traits.
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Keywords
Defense MechanismsMature Defense MechanismsImmature Defense MechanismsAcademic Achievement
References
Abid, M. & Riaz, M. (2017). A study on Gender differences and Defense Mechanisms among University Students. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science, 5(1), 3-28.
Al-Aref, L. (2014). Psychosomatic disorders, psychological defense mechanisms, neuroticism and their relationship to psychological conflict (in Arabic). Journal of Generation of Social and Human Sciences, (3), 9-43.
Al-Harthi, I. (2022). The degree of use of psychological defense mechanisms and its relationship to academic achievement among female university students in distance education during the Corona pandemic (in Arabic). International Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 11(5), 1141-1156.
Al-Mansour, G. (2018). Defense mechanisms and their relationship to higher-order thinking: A field study on a sample of students in the Departments of Psychology and Psychological Counseling at the Faculty of Education at Damascus University. (in Arabic). Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Education and Psychology Damascus University (Syria), 16(2), 43-82.
Al-Mona, I. (2006). Insecure attachment and psychological defense mechanisms among adolescents in state institutions and their peers who live with their families (in Arabic). [Doctoral dissertation], University of Baghdad, Iraq.
Al-Quraan, M. & Al-Sharfain, N. (2024). The predictive ability of defense mechanisms and behavioral inhibition in generalized anxiety disorder among Jordanian university students (in Arabic). International Journal of Psychological and Educational Research, 1(1), 1-19.
American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2005). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IVth.4th ed, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Bakr, M. (2012). Defensive tricks in adolescence among a sample of Saudis and Egyptians (in Arabic). Journal of Psychological Counseling, (30), 311-359.
Bond, M. (2004). Empirical Studies of Defense Style: Relationships with Psychopathology and Change. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 12(5), 263-278.
Bond, T. (1990); Are Borderline Defense Specific For Borderline Disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4(3). 251-256.
Campbell, D. & Stanley, J. (1993). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. 6th ed, Chicago: Rand McNally & Company.
Colovic, O., Tosevski, D., Mladenovic, I., Milosavljevic, M. & Munjiza, A. (2016). Defense mechanisms in “pure” anxiety and “pure” depressive disorders. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 204(10), 746-751.
Cramer, P. (2015). Defense mechanisms: 40 years of empirical research. Journal of Personality Assessmentو 97, 114–122.
Cramer, P. (2006). Protecting the Self: Defense Mechanisms in Action. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Cramer, P. (1991). The Development of Defense Mechanisms: Theory, Research and Assessment. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.
Danqal, A. (2018). Defense mechanisms among university students with high and low psychological immunity (in Arabic). Journal of Psychological Counseling, 2(35), 29-88.
Fadda, H. (2001). Defense mechanisms among university students and their relationship to academic achievement (in Arabic). Journal of the Faculty of Education, 47(12), 80-204.
Gokdage, R. (2015). Defense Mechanisms Used by University Students to Cope With Stress. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 6(2). 1- 12.
Hashem, A. & Abdul Rasoul, B. (2018). Psychological defense mechanisms among students of the University of Kufa (in Arabic). Journal of the Arab American University for Research, 4(1), 126-153.
Jabour, F., Muqaddadi, M. & Al-Sawalmeh, A. (2020). Defense mechanisms among students of the Faculty of Education at Yarmouk University (in Arabic). Journal of Educational Sciences, 1(3), 157-207.
Joda, A. (2009) Defense mechanisms and their relationship to neuroticism and life satisfaction among students of Al-Aqsa University (in Arabic). Journal of the Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, (1)33, 405-434.
Kihlstrom, J. (1987). The cognitive unconscious. Science, 237, 511-521.
Malone, J., Cohen, S., Liu, S., Vaillant, G. & Waldinger, R. (2013). Adaptive midlife defense mechanisms and late-life health. Personality and Individual Differences, 55, 85-89.
Olah, A., Nagy, H. & Toth, K. (2010). Life expectancy and psychological immune competence in different cultures. ETC— Empirical Text and Culture Research, 4, 102–108
Parekh, M., Majeed, H., Khan, T. & Khan, A. (2010). Ego defense mechanisms in Pakistani medical students: a cross-sectional analysis. Pakistan: BMC Psychiatry.
Pellitteri, J. (2002). The relationship between emotional intelligence and ego defense mechanisms. Journal of Psychology. (1362). 192-194.
Rest, J. (1986). Moral development: Advances in research and theory. New York: Praeger.
Shukry, M. (2003). Self-concept and its relationship to the practice of psychological defense mechanisms and some neurotic symptoms among final-year students at Al-Marqab University (in Arabic). [Master's thesis], Al-Marqab University.
Spinelli, J. (2009). The relationship between ego mechanisms of defense and reflective functions. [PhD dissertation], Richard L. Connolly College, Long Island University.
Steiner, H., Araujo, K., & Koopman, C. (2001). The response evaluation measure (REM-71): a new instrument for the measurement of defense in adults and adolescents. American Journal Psychiatry, 158 (3), 467-473.
Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J. & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 41(2), 363-387. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0272263118000311
Thygesen, K., Drapeau, M., Trijsburg, R., Lecours, S. & de Roten, Y. (2008). Assessing defense styles: Factor structure and psychometric properties of the new Defense Style Questionnaire 60 (DSQ-60). The International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 8, 171–181.
Vaillant, G. (2000). Adaptive mental mechanisms. American Psychologist, 55, 89–98.
Wieb, V. (2006). Parent-child attachment and defense mechanisms: A developmental perspective on risk-taking behavior in clinical sample of adolescents [Unpublished PhD dissertation]. Department of psychology. Simon Fraser University.
***************************************************************************************************
العربية
آل منى، إلهام. (2006). التعلق غير الآمن وآليات الدفاع النفسي عند المراهقين في دور الدولة وأقرانهم الذين يعيشون مع أسرهم. [أطروحة دكتوراه]، جامعة بغداد، العراق.
بكر، محمد. (2012). الحيل الدفاعية في مرحلة المراهقة لدى عينة من السعوديين والمصريين، مجلة الإرشاد النفسي، مركز الإرشاد النفسي، جامعة عين شمس، القاهرة، (30)، 311-359.
الحارثي، إسراء. (2022). درجة استخدام ميكانزمات الدفاع النفسي وعلاقتها بالتحصيل الأكاديمي لدى طالبات الجامعة في التعليم عن بعد خلال جائحة كورونا. المجلة الدولية للدراسات التربوية والنفسية، 11(5)، 1141-1156.
جبور، فراس ومقدادي، مؤيد والسوالمة، عائشة. (2020). آليات الدفاع لدى طلبة كلية التربية في جامعة اليرموك. مجلة العلوم التربوية، 1(3)، 157-207.
جودة، آمال. (2009). الميكانزمات الدفاعية وعلاقتها بالعصابية والرضا عن الحياة لدى طلبة جامعة الأقصى. مجلة كلية التربية بجامعة عين شمس، 33(1)، 405-434.
دنقل، عبير. (2018). ميكانزمات الدفاع لدى مرتفعي ومنخفضي المناعة النفسية من طلبة الجامعة. مجلة الإرشاد النفسي، 2(35)، 29-88.
شكري، مفتاح. (2003). مفهوم الذات وعلاقته بممارسة الآليات الدفاع النفسية وبعض الأعراض العصابية لدى طلبة السنة النهائية بجامعة المرقب. [رسالة ماجستير]، جامعة المرقب.
العارف، ليلى. (2014). الاضطرابات السيكوسوماتية وآليات الدفاع النفسي والعصابية وعلاقتها بالصراع النفسي. مجلة جيل العلوم الاجتماعية والإنسانية، مركز جيل للعلوم النفسية، الجزائر، (3)، 9-43.
فضة، حمدان. (2001). ميكانزمات الدفاع لدى طلاب الجامعة وعلاقتها بالتحصيل الدراسي. مجلة كلية التربية، 47(12)، 80-204.
القرعان، ميادة والشرفين، نضال. (2024). القدرة التنبؤية لميكانزمات الدفاع والكبح السلوكي باضطراب القلق المعمم لدى طلبة الجامعات الأردنية. المجلة الدولية للبحوث النفسية والتربوية، 1(1)، 1-19.
المنصور، غسان. (2018). ميكانزمات الدفاع وعلاقتها بالتفكير عالي الرتبة: دراسة ميدانية على عينة من طلبة قسمي علم النفس والإرشاد النفسي في كلية التربية بجامعة دمشق. مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للتربية وعلم النفس، جامعة دمشق (سوريا)، 16(2)، 43-82.
هاشم، أميرة وعبد الرسول، باقر. (2018). آليات الدفاع النفسي لدى طلبة جامعة الكوفة. مجلة الجامعة العربية الأمريكية للبحوث، 4(1)، 126-153.
Al-Aref, L. (2014). Psychosomatic disorders, psychological defense mechanisms, neuroticism and their relationship to psychological conflict (in Arabic). Journal of Generation of Social and Human Sciences, (3), 9-43.
Al-Harthi, I. (2022). The degree of use of psychological defense mechanisms and its relationship to academic achievement among female university students in distance education during the Corona pandemic (in Arabic). International Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 11(5), 1141-1156.
Al-Mansour, G. (2018). Defense mechanisms and their relationship to higher-order thinking: A field study on a sample of students in the Departments of Psychology and Psychological Counseling at the Faculty of Education at Damascus University. (in Arabic). Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Education and Psychology Damascus University (Syria), 16(2), 43-82.
Al-Mona, I. (2006). Insecure attachment and psychological defense mechanisms among adolescents in state institutions and their peers who live with their families (in Arabic). [Doctoral dissertation], University of Baghdad, Iraq.
Al-Quraan, M. & Al-Sharfain, N. (2024). The predictive ability of defense mechanisms and behavioral inhibition in generalized anxiety disorder among Jordanian university students (in Arabic). International Journal of Psychological and Educational Research, 1(1), 1-19.
American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2005). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IVth.4th ed, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Bakr, M. (2012). Defensive tricks in adolescence among a sample of Saudis and Egyptians (in Arabic). Journal of Psychological Counseling, (30), 311-359.
Bond, M. (2004). Empirical Studies of Defense Style: Relationships with Psychopathology and Change. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 12(5), 263-278.
Bond, T. (1990); Are Borderline Defense Specific For Borderline Disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4(3). 251-256.
Campbell, D. & Stanley, J. (1993). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. 6th ed, Chicago: Rand McNally & Company.
Colovic, O., Tosevski, D., Mladenovic, I., Milosavljevic, M. & Munjiza, A. (2016). Defense mechanisms in “pure” anxiety and “pure” depressive disorders. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 204(10), 746-751.
Cramer, P. (2015). Defense mechanisms: 40 years of empirical research. Journal of Personality Assessmentو 97, 114–122.
Cramer, P. (2006). Protecting the Self: Defense Mechanisms in Action. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Cramer, P. (1991). The Development of Defense Mechanisms: Theory, Research and Assessment. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.
Danqal, A. (2018). Defense mechanisms among university students with high and low psychological immunity (in Arabic). Journal of Psychological Counseling, 2(35), 29-88.
Fadda, H. (2001). Defense mechanisms among university students and their relationship to academic achievement (in Arabic). Journal of the Faculty of Education, 47(12), 80-204.
Gokdage, R. (2015). Defense Mechanisms Used by University Students to Cope With Stress. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 6(2). 1- 12.
Hashem, A. & Abdul Rasoul, B. (2018). Psychological defense mechanisms among students of the University of Kufa (in Arabic). Journal of the Arab American University for Research, 4(1), 126-153.
Jabour, F., Muqaddadi, M. & Al-Sawalmeh, A. (2020). Defense mechanisms among students of the Faculty of Education at Yarmouk University (in Arabic). Journal of Educational Sciences, 1(3), 157-207.
Joda, A. (2009) Defense mechanisms and their relationship to neuroticism and life satisfaction among students of Al-Aqsa University (in Arabic). Journal of the Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, (1)33, 405-434.
Kihlstrom, J. (1987). The cognitive unconscious. Science, 237, 511-521.
Malone, J., Cohen, S., Liu, S., Vaillant, G. & Waldinger, R. (2013). Adaptive midlife defense mechanisms and late-life health. Personality and Individual Differences, 55, 85-89.
Olah, A., Nagy, H. & Toth, K. (2010). Life expectancy and psychological immune competence in different cultures. ETC— Empirical Text and Culture Research, 4, 102–108
Parekh, M., Majeed, H., Khan, T. & Khan, A. (2010). Ego defense mechanisms in Pakistani medical students: a cross-sectional analysis. Pakistan: BMC Psychiatry.
Pellitteri, J. (2002). The relationship between emotional intelligence and ego defense mechanisms. Journal of Psychology. (1362). 192-194.
Rest, J. (1986). Moral development: Advances in research and theory. New York: Praeger.
Shukry, M. (2003). Self-concept and its relationship to the practice of psychological defense mechanisms and some neurotic symptoms among final-year students at Al-Marqab University (in Arabic). [Master's thesis], Al-Marqab University.
Spinelli, J. (2009). The relationship between ego mechanisms of defense and reflective functions. [PhD dissertation], Richard L. Connolly College, Long Island University.
Steiner, H., Araujo, K., & Koopman, C. (2001). The response evaluation measure (REM-71): a new instrument for the measurement of defense in adults and adolescents. American Journal Psychiatry, 158 (3), 467-473.
Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J. & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 41(2), 363-387. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0272263118000311
Thygesen, K., Drapeau, M., Trijsburg, R., Lecours, S. & de Roten, Y. (2008). Assessing defense styles: Factor structure and psychometric properties of the new Defense Style Questionnaire 60 (DSQ-60). The International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 8, 171–181.
Vaillant, G. (2000). Adaptive mental mechanisms. American Psychologist, 55, 89–98.
Wieb, V. (2006). Parent-child attachment and defense mechanisms: A developmental perspective on risk-taking behavior in clinical sample of adolescents [Unpublished PhD dissertation]. Department of psychology. Simon Fraser University.
***************************************************************************************************
العربية
آل منى، إلهام. (2006). التعلق غير الآمن وآليات الدفاع النفسي عند المراهقين في دور الدولة وأقرانهم الذين يعيشون مع أسرهم. [أطروحة دكتوراه]، جامعة بغداد، العراق.
بكر، محمد. (2012). الحيل الدفاعية في مرحلة المراهقة لدى عينة من السعوديين والمصريين، مجلة الإرشاد النفسي، مركز الإرشاد النفسي، جامعة عين شمس، القاهرة، (30)، 311-359.
الحارثي، إسراء. (2022). درجة استخدام ميكانزمات الدفاع النفسي وعلاقتها بالتحصيل الأكاديمي لدى طالبات الجامعة في التعليم عن بعد خلال جائحة كورونا. المجلة الدولية للدراسات التربوية والنفسية، 11(5)، 1141-1156.
جبور، فراس ومقدادي، مؤيد والسوالمة، عائشة. (2020). آليات الدفاع لدى طلبة كلية التربية في جامعة اليرموك. مجلة العلوم التربوية، 1(3)، 157-207.
جودة، آمال. (2009). الميكانزمات الدفاعية وعلاقتها بالعصابية والرضا عن الحياة لدى طلبة جامعة الأقصى. مجلة كلية التربية بجامعة عين شمس، 33(1)، 405-434.
دنقل، عبير. (2018). ميكانزمات الدفاع لدى مرتفعي ومنخفضي المناعة النفسية من طلبة الجامعة. مجلة الإرشاد النفسي، 2(35)، 29-88.
شكري، مفتاح. (2003). مفهوم الذات وعلاقته بممارسة الآليات الدفاع النفسية وبعض الأعراض العصابية لدى طلبة السنة النهائية بجامعة المرقب. [رسالة ماجستير]، جامعة المرقب.
العارف، ليلى. (2014). الاضطرابات السيكوسوماتية وآليات الدفاع النفسي والعصابية وعلاقتها بالصراع النفسي. مجلة جيل العلوم الاجتماعية والإنسانية، مركز جيل للعلوم النفسية، الجزائر، (3)، 9-43.
فضة، حمدان. (2001). ميكانزمات الدفاع لدى طلاب الجامعة وعلاقتها بالتحصيل الدراسي. مجلة كلية التربية، 47(12)، 80-204.
القرعان، ميادة والشرفين، نضال. (2024). القدرة التنبؤية لميكانزمات الدفاع والكبح السلوكي باضطراب القلق المعمم لدى طلبة الجامعات الأردنية. المجلة الدولية للبحوث النفسية والتربوية، 1(1)، 1-19.
المنصور، غسان. (2018). ميكانزمات الدفاع وعلاقتها بالتفكير عالي الرتبة: دراسة ميدانية على عينة من طلبة قسمي علم النفس والإرشاد النفسي في كلية التربية بجامعة دمشق. مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للتربية وعلم النفس، جامعة دمشق (سوريا)، 16(2)، 43-82.
هاشم، أميرة وعبد الرسول، باقر. (2018). آليات الدفاع النفسي لدى طلبة جامعة الكوفة. مجلة الجامعة العربية الأمريكية للبحوث، 4(1)، 126-153.
How to Cite
Barakat, Zeiad Amin. 2026. “Mature and Immature Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Their Relationship to Academic Achievement Among University Students in Tulkarm Governorate, Palestine”. Journal of Educational Sciences – Qatar University 26 (2). https://doi.org/10.29117/jes.2026.0282.
Section
Articles in Arabic